Available car elevator system

ABSTRACT

In an elevator system available cars are assigned to zones of floors. Under certain conditions the number of floors effectively in a zone is altered. During zoned heavy-up traffic operation, movement of cars to certain floors may be expedited, as to the main floor, or the down demands in any zone, or to timed-out down demands. Service may also be expedited to a heavy-traffic floor from which a loaded car has departed, or for an extension floor demand. All available cars may be assigned to a specific floor with one car being permitted to serve other floors at intervals.

United States Patent Suozzo et al.

[ Mar. 14, 1972 [54] AVAILABLE CAR ELEVATOR SYSTEM [72] Inventors: John Suouo, Paramus; Henry C. Savino, Hackinsack, both of NJ.

[73] Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa.

[22] Filed: Jan. 9, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 1,616

Related US. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 310,991, Sept. 24, 1963, Pat. No.

[52] U.S.Cl. ..l87/29R [51] Int. Cl ..B66b 1/20 [58] Field of Search 187/29 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,080,945 3/1963 Dinning et a1. ..187/29 3,307,657

3/1967 Burgy et al ..187/29 Primary Examiner-Bemard A. Gilheany Assistant ExaminerW. E. Duncanson, Jr. Attorney-A. T. Stratton and C. L. Freedman [5 7] ABSTRACT In an elevator system available cars are assigned to zones of floors. Under certain conditions the number of floors effectively in a zone is altered. During zoned heavy-up traffic operation, movement of cars to certain floors may be ex-' pedited, as to the main floor, or the down demands in any zone, or to timed-out down demands. Service may also be expedited to a heavy-traffic floor from which a loaded car has departed, or for an extension floor demand. All available cars may be assigned to a specific floor with one car being permitted to serve other floors at intervals.

30 Claims, 16 Drawing Figures T0 CAR C ONLY T0 CAR C ONLY PAIENTEDMAR 14 I912 3, 648 805 SHEET 0 1 HF 14 am 902M eon auEPJ BUFP .B. 52 F B BEII Ef ass INVENTQRS Henry C. Sov|no8 John Suozzo.

ATTORNEY SHEET 02 0F 14 FRI 3T5 p P6-3 TO CAR C ONLY TO CAR C ONLY PATENTEDMAR 14 I972 ZURI ZURN PAIENTEDHAR 14 I972 SHEET 10 0F 14 amffiw,

NDR

NDHIS D DUL AVAILABLE CAR ELEVATOR SYSTEM CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This is a division of application Ser. No. 310,991, filed Sept. 24, 1963, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,506,093, which is a continuation-impart of the patent applications Ser. No. 94,723 filed Mar. 10, 1961 and Ser. No. 110,464 filed May 16, 1961 which resulted in Pat. Nos. 3,256,958 and 3,292,736, and of patent application Ser. No. 220,522, filed Aug. 30, 1962, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,509,969.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to elevator systems, and it has particular relation to elevator systems wherein a plurality of elevator cars are arranged in a structure to operate as a bank.

The problem of providing an efficient elevator system for a structure is complicated by the frequent variations in traffic demands or traffic patterns which are encountered. Although such variations or patterns differ for different structures, it will be helpful to consider the primary variations for a typical office building.

On each business day, periods are encountered during which there are frequent demands for elevator service. These demands may be divided into three types. Immediately before the start of the business day and usually toward the end of the lunch period, a heavy demand for up travel from the lower terminal or first floor is encountered. This may be referred to as an up peak.

Immediately after the close of the business day and usually at the start of the lunch hour, a heavy demand for travel toward the lower terminal floor is encountered. This demand for service predominately in the down direction may be referred to as a down peak.

During the remainder of the business day, a demand for elevator service which is predominantly equal to the two directions of travel generally is encountered. The period of this demand for substantially equal service in the two directions may be referred to as an off peak.

Following the close of the business day, a period occurs during which the demand for elevator service is infrequent or occasional. For example, such a period occurs during the night in most office buildings, and similar infrequent demand for elevator service is encountered on holidays. Such periods may be termed off hour periods.

Furthermore the traffic demands during each of the foregoing periods need not be uniform. For example, during the off hour periods, the entry and departure of service personnel, such as charwomen, may introduce intervals of increased demand for elevator service.

Expressions such as traffic demand," service demand and traffic condition herein are employed to designate traffic pictures which may be utilized for specified control purposes. As is pointed out below, such traffic demands or conditions may include calls for elevator service registered by call means, loading of elevator cars, elevator car stopping, direct functions or rate functions.

An elevator system may be designed for attendant operation or for automatic operation. In attendant operation, an attendant located in each of the elevator cars is available for supervising the loading of his elevator car, the unloading of the elevator car and the dispatch of the elevator car from a floor. Although aspects of the invention may be incorporated in elevator systems employing either a single elevator car or a number of elevator cars arranged in a bank, and although aspects of the invention may be incorporated in elevator systems arranged either for automatic operation or attendant operation, the entire invention is particularly suitable for and may be considered adequately with reference to a bank of elevator cars arranged for automatic operation. For this reason, the following discussion will be directed primarily to such an elevator system.

In a bank of elevator cars arranged for automatic operation, the cars may operate principally between two terminal floors,

which consist generally of an upper terminal floor and a lower or street terminal or first floor. A plurality of intermediate floors are located between the two terminal floors. Additionally, one or more but fewer than all of the elevator cars in the bank may serve a top extension or penthouse floor. Finally, certain or all of the cars also may provide service for a lower extension floor, such as a basement floor. However, the invention may be described adequately for a system having no lower extension floor.

In order to provide for the registration of calls for elevator service, suitable call registering means are provided. Such call registering means may comprise up floor call registering means, including an operating member located at each of the floors from which elevator service is desired in the up direction. In addition, the call registering means may include down floor call registering means, including an operating member located at each of the floors from which elevator service is desired in the down direction. Lastly, car call registering means may be provided for the purpose of registering calls for floors desired by the load within the associated elevator car. Such car call registering means may include an operating member within the elevator car for each floor to which a pas-' senger in the car may desire to be transported.

It has been found that very efficient service is provided by an elevator system serving a structure whose floors above the lower terminal floor are divided into a plurality of separate up and down zones. Each of these zones may comprise either one floor or a plurality of adjacent floors, depending upon factors such as the total number of floors served by the system, the number of elevator cars in the system, special traffic condi tions which may be encountered at a particular floor or group of fioors and the quantity and cost of equipment required. It will be understood that the number of down zones need not necessarily equal the number of up zones and that the same floor or floors need not necessarily be included in both a particular down zone and a particular up zone.

In such a system, the registration of a floor call for elevator service may be accompanied by the registration of a demand for service for the zone in which the corresponding floor is located, depending upon considerations such as the respective locations of the elevator cars relative to the zone and the direction of travel for which each of one or more cars respec- SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention to rearrange, in response to occurrence of a predetermined condition, the zones into which the floors served by the elevator system normally are divided. For example, during down peak intervals of traffic, the number of down zones in the system may be increased by decreasing the number of floors contained in each of certain or all of the down zones during off peak periods of operation; e.g., an off peak down zone comprising two floors may be divided into two down peak down zones of one floor each. As a result, successive available elevator cars may be assigned to serve down zones more frequently, since each assigned car is required to serve a fewer number of floors upon receiving a down zone assignment, and service in the down direction, therefore, is expedited. This type of operation is particularly suitable, although not confined to, buildings having large floor areas and wherein a relatively high number of elevator cars serve relatively few floors, for example, in an installation in which a bank of six elevator cars serves six or seven floors. In response to termination of a down peak period, the system may be transferred to the off peak mode of operation discussed above.

During the down peak period at the end of each business day in a heavily populated office building, it may be desirable to depopulatc or unload the floors one at a time in a predetermined sequence. Such a procedure, however, imposes special requirements on the elevator system which serves the building.

It is a further object of the invention to provide improved elevator service during a down peak period of traffic demand in which the floors of the structure served by the system are depopulated in accordance with a predetermined sequence. For accomplishing this object, the elevator cars on a plurality of trips are assigned or spotted to serve primarily a particular floor which is to be unloaded during a given period of time. In order to provide service for unspotted floors for which floor calls may be registered, at the expiration of each of predetermined portions of each spotting period, the first available elevator car is assigned to answer one or more such calls. As traffic at a spotted floor diminishes or tapers off, the frequency of such assignment to serve unspotted floors increases. As a result, traffic from each spotted floor is appreciably expedited without unduly penalizing traffic at unspotted floors. It should be noted that relatively light traffic in either direction is to be expected at unspotted floors during the particular down peak period under discussion).

It is also an object of the invention to provide improved service during certain periods of heavy traffic at the lower terminal floor ofthe structure served by an elevator system.

At the start of each business day, for example, traffic in the up direction from the lower terminal floor may be sufficient to justify the provision ofa special form of elevator service which may be termed intense up peak operation. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, such special service comprises the division of the elevator cars in a bank effectively into a plurality of sub-banks, each of which furnishes transportation principally from the lower terminal floor to a different predetermined zone of successive floors. Thus, the cars may be divided into two sub-banks, a low zone sub-bank, which transports passengers from the lower terminal floor to only a low zone of floors thereabove, and a high zone sub-bank, which carries passengers from the lower terminal floor to only the remaining or high zone of floors above the low zone. A high zone car also may answer an up floor call which may be registered for any floor in either the low or the high zone.

When each low zone and high zone car has completed its up trip, it becomes available for assignment to answer a down floor call which may be registered for any floor above the lower terminal floor. If no down floor call is registered or if there is no registered down floor call which another available. car has not been assigned to answer when a car becomes available, each available car conveniently may be returned automatically to the lower terminal floor, and it may answer each down floor call during its trip to the lower terminal floor which is registered subsequent to the initiation of its return and which another car is not assigned to answer.

Since service from the lower terminal floor is of primary importance during an intense up peak period, however, it is desirable to maintain at least one elevator car in each of the high and low zone sub-banks for loading at the lower terminal floor at all times during such period, insofar as is practicable. Thus, if no car in one of the sub-banks is located at the lower terminal floor, the closest unassigned car to the lower terminal floor in such sub-bank which is set for down travel is selected for express travel to the lower terminal floor, i.e., the selected car is conditioned to bypass each floor for which a down floor call may be registered, regardless of whether another car is assigned to answer such call. On the other hand, if no car in the sub-bank is set for down travel, the closest available car to the lower terminal floor in such sub-bank is selected for express travel thereto, even though a service demand may be registered for another floor. The foregoing operation insures that during intense up peak periods of traffic, optimum elevator service is provided for the lower terminal floor, where adequate service is of chief concern, and that concurrently satisfactory service is furnished for all floors above the lower terminal floor.

It is an additional object of the invention to provide improved elevator service during certain periods of heavy traffic at a predetermined floor above the lower terminal floor of a structure served by an elevator system.

In a building such as a hotel, a particular floor above the lower terminal floor may be designed to accommodate special activities involving large numbers of people, e.g., conventions or special social events. For convenience, the floor under consideration will be designated a convention floor.

For a relatively short period of time following the termination of a convention session, there may be an exceptionally heavy or peak demand for elevator service from the convention floor, usually to the lower terminal floor. Under these conditions, special elevator service is warranted for the convention floor.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, preferential or priority service is furnished for a convention floor upon the occurrence ofa predetermined condition such as the capacity loading of an elevator car located at such floor. Suitable means are provided for storing for at least a predetermined time the indication that the aforesaid condition has occurred. During such storage and upon the registration of a down floor call for the convention floor, the first available elevator car located at any other floor, or the nearest available elevator car to the convention floor, if there is-more than one such car, is assigned to serve the convention floor regardless of the existence of other demands for service, and the selected car proceeds directly thereto without answering on its way any floor call which may be registered for another floor. Thus, as long as an elevator car leaves the convention floor loaded to capacity and for at least a predetermined time thereafter, successive available elevator cars are dispatched directly to such floor upon the registration of a down floor call therefor. If desired, means may be provided for reregistering automatically a down floor call for the convention floor when any elevator car becomes loaded to capacity at that floor. Such operation further increases the frequency with which available cars are dispatched directly to the convention floor, It will be appreciated that the provision of convention floor special service substantially expedites traffic flow from such floor under the stated conditions.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide an improved elevator system comprising a bank of elevator cars for serving a main floor of a structure and a plurality of additional floors spaced in a first direction from the main floor and in which fewer than all of the elevator cars in the bank are capable of serving a predetermined one of the additional floors.

It will be recalled that the last-named floor may be a top extension or penthouse floor, and for illustrative purposes the following discussion will be directed to such a floor. Since fewer than all of the elevator cars in the bank may serve the top extension floor, separate means conveniently may be provided at the lower terminal floor for enabling a prospective passenger desiring transportation from the latter floor to the extension floor to register under certain conditions a call or demand for elevator service from the lower terminal to the extension floor. Preferably, such a call or demand may be registered unless an elevator car capable of serving the extension floor, i.e., an extension floor car, is conditioned to provide down service, in which event such a car soon will arrive at the lower terminal floor and then will be conditioned to accept passengers for the extension floor, or unless a car capable of serving the extension floor is located at the lower terminal floor with its doors open and is not conditioned to start, as a result of which anyone may enter such car immediately and register a car call for the extension floor.

In response to the registration of a demand for service from the lower terminal floor to the top extension floor, the closest available extension floor car to the lower terminal floor is selected to provide such service. If the selected car is located at the lower terminal floor with its doors closed, the doors are opened so that the passenger who registered the service demand may enter the car. If, however, the selected car is located at another floor, it is automatically dispatched to the lower terminal floor to provide the desired service.

A demand for service for the top extension floor also may occur if an up floor call is registered for the floor below the extension floor or if a down floor call is registered for the extension floor, provided that no elevator car capable of serving the extension floor is conditioned to answer up floor calls, since such car may answer either of the aforesaid registered calls without undue delay. In response to the registration of such a service demand, the closest available car to the extension fioor capable of serving the extension floor is dispatched to answer the floor call which prompted its selection.

If a plurality of the aforesaid different calls or demands for top extension floor service are registered concurrently, such demands or calls are answered in accordance with a sequence which depends upon the location of an available extension floor elevator car and which is designed to provide efficient extension floor service. This aspect of the invention will be discussed more fully hereinafter.

The preceding operation, it will be observed, results in optimum service for a floor which is served by fewer than all of the elevator cars in a bank.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view in straight line form of a portion of an elevator control system embodying the invention;

FIGS. 2 through 14 are schematic views with circuits shown in straight line form of further portions of the elevator control system illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 15 is a view in front elevation illustrating suitable door operating components for one of the elevator cars of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 16 is a top plan view with parts broken away, parts in section and parts not shown of the elevator car of FIG. 15 associated with a hoistway.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Although aspects of the invention may be incorporated in an elevator system having any desired number of elevator cars arranged either for attendant operation or for automatic operation to serve any desired number of floors, the invention may be described adequately with reference to an elevator system arranged for fully automatic operation and serving a building or structure having six principal floors and a top extension or seventh floor. For this reason, the illustration and description of the invention will be directed particularly to such a system. Furthermore, a system comprising a bank of three elevator cars will suffice for the discussion of certain aspects of the invention, while other features thereof may be more clearly explained by reference to a system having four cars. In addition, for illustrative purposes the second through sixth floors served by the elevator system normally will be divided into first, second and third dowh zones, while the intermediate or second through fifth floors will be divided into low and high up zones. The first down zone comprises the second and third floors, the second down zone includes the fourth and fifth floors and the third down zone comprises the sixth floor. The low up zone includes the second and third floors and the high up zone comprises the fourth and fifth floors.

The elevator cars of the system, three or four as the case may be, are designated by the reference characters A, B, C and D. It will be assumed that only the cars A and C are capable of serving the top extension or seventh floor, while each of the remaining or six principal floors may be served by every car in the system.

Inasmuch as certain circuits for each of the elevator cars generally are similar, circuits for the elevator cars A and B are shown in substantial detail, and components for the elevator cars C and D are introduced as required for the discussion. Insofar as is practicable, circuits and components for the elevator car A are illustrated in the left column of FIGS. 1 through 6, and circuits for the elevator car B in the right column of such figures. FIGS. 7 through 14 in general illustrate circuits which are common to all of the elevator cars. 7

The equipment and control circuits for the elevator cars A, B, C and D include many similar components. For this reason, components for the cars B, C and D which are similar to a corresponding component for the elevator car A are identified by the reference character employed for the car A component preceded by the prefixes B, C and D, respectively. For example, associated with the elevator cars A, B, C and D are the next car relays N, BN, CN and DN. For these reference characters, the prefixes B, C and D indicate that the relays BN, CN and DN are associated, respectively, with the elevator cars B, C and D.

Electromagnetic switches and relays employed in the control circuits may have numerous contacts of either or both of two types. One type may be referred to as back or break contacts. Such contacts are closed when the associated switch or relay is deenergized and dropped out. The contacts are opened when the associated switch or relay is energized and picked up. The second type of contacts may be referred to as front or make contacts. Such contacts are opened when the associated switch or relay is deenergized and dropped out. These contacts are closed when the associated switch or relay is energized and picked up. The relays and switches in the accompanying schematic views are illustrated in their deenergized and dropped out conditions.

Each set of contacts of a relay or switch is designated by the reference character employed for the relay or switch, followed by a suitable numeral specific to the set of contacts. For example, the reference characters U1 and U6 designate, respectively, the first and sixth sets of contacts associated with the up switch U of the elevator car A. These contacts may be located by application of the key representations, FIGS. 17 through 17L, to the circuits ofFIGS. 1 through 15.

Referring to FIGS. 17 through 17L, distributed along each stem located therein are the coil or coils and all of the contacts of the associated relay, solenoid or switch. Adjacent each coil is a numeral which indicates the figure number of the schematic view on which such coil appears. Adjacent each set of contacts is a pair of numerals separated by a dash. The first of these numerals indicates the number of the particular set of contacts under consideration, while the second of these numerals designates the particular schematic view on which the contacts are located.

The symbols designating the contacts on the schematic views and the key representation indicate whether a particular set of contacts are make or break. Each coil and set of contacts is positioned on its associated stem in the key representations in substantial horizontal alignment with its position in the schematic view on which it is located. Thus, a coil or set of contacts of a particular switch or relay may be found in the schematic views by first determining the key representation figure on which the switch or relay stem is located, according to its alphabetical or numerical order, locating the desired coil or contacts along its associated stem, noting the schematic view figure number on which the desired coil or contacts are located and finally by aligning the particular key representation figure horizontally with the particular schematic view so determined. The desired coil or set of contacts then will be found on such schematic view in substantial horizontal alignment with that coil or set of contacts on the key representation 11'] use.

For example, in order to locate the coil and contacts of the up switch U in the schematic views, reference is first made to FIG. 17I, in which the stem for the up switch U is located. Proceeding along this stem, it will be found that the numeral 1 is adjacent the coil of the up switch U, indicating that such coil is located in FIG. 1 of the schematic views. In addition, it will be found that the numeral 1, indicating FIG. 1, follows the dash after the make contacts numbered 1 of the up switch U, while the numeral 1, also indicating FIG. 1, follows the dash adjacent the break contacts numbered 6 of the up switch U. Consequently, the coil of the up switch U, the make contacts U1 and the break contacts U6 all appear in FIG. 1. This coil and these contacts may be located in FIG. 1 by horizontally aligning FIG. 171 with FIG. 1, and the corresponding coil and contacts of the two figures will be found to be in substantial horizontal alignment. The location of all other coils and contacts in the circuits of FIGS. 1 through 15, may be determined by application of the key representations, FIGS. 17 through 17L, in a similar manner.

The control circuits of the present elevator system include a plurality of electromagnetic stepping switches, each of which has one or more levels. The stems for these stepping switches also appear in the key representation figures in their proper alphabetical sequence. Each level of a stepping switch is designated by the reference character employed for the switch followed by a suitable lowercase letter specific to the particular level, and each level is represented by a semicircle on its associated stem. For example, the stem for the assigned zone stepping switch KA will be found on FIG. 17D. It will be noted therein that the coil KA, the cam-operated contacts KA1, the break contacts AKA2 and the five levels KAa, KAb, KAc, KAd and KAe are all located in FIG. 5 of the schematic views. The location of these components in FIG. 5 may be ascertained in a manner which will be clear from the preceding discussion.

Since the circuits for the elevator cars A and B in FIGS. 1 through 6 generally are similar, the key representation drawings, FIGS. 17A through 17L, include components specific to the car A and components common to all of the elevator cars. Car B components in FIGS. 1 through 6 may be located in a manner which will be clear from the preceding discussion.

In order to facilitate the presentation of the invention,.certain apparatus specific to the car A and certain apparatus common to all of the elevator cars are set forth as follows.

APPARATUS FOR ELEVATOR CAR A D Down switch DC Door-close solenoid DCA Down call above relay DO Door-open solenoid DS Door relay E Inductor slowdown relay F Inductor stopping relay IA Down call assigned relay FCR Demand response relay FR Available car relay F RS Auxiliary available car relay FU Up call assigned relay FUH High up zone assigned relay G Holding relay KA Assigned zone stepping switch KB Down zone call below relay KF Convention floor loading relay KFT Convention floor timing relay LB Detector relay LW Load relay M Running relay N Next car relay ND Notching relay P Parking relay PX Spotting loading relay RA First auxiliary running relay S Floor-call stopping relay SH Down zone assigned relay SS Start relay ST Assigned zone stopping relay 42 Auxiliary door-control relay 45 Door-control relay 50 Motor-generator starting relay 69H High call reversal relay 69L Low call reversal relay 70T Non-interference relay 78D Up call below relay 78U Up call above relay 80 Second auxiliary running relay 139 Motor-generator shutdown relay 981 Lower terminal no-start relay APPARATUS COMMON TO ALL CARS AH Master high up zone assigned relay AHC Highest down call relay AL Low up zone assigned relay DT Down bypass timing relay DU Up zone demand relay DUL Low up zone demand relay DUH High up zone demand relay FRM Master available car relay FSH High zone stepping switch FSL Low zone stepping switch FZM Master zone relay FZT Zone resetting relay FOC, FlC, FlCZ, F2C, F2Ca, F3C Assigned zone relays H Motor-generator running relay KBH High zone demand relay KBL Low zone demand relay KH High up zone call relay KHT High up zone timing relay KL Low up zone call relay KLT Low up zone timing relay KMT Down zone priority relay K0, K1, KIA, K2, K2A, K3 Down zone demand registering relays KIT, K1TA,K2T,K2TA, K3T Down zone timing relays LNT Absence timing relay MCA Master down call above relay MFB Lower terminal surplus car relay MFC Multiple available car relay MG Motor-generator timing relay MKF Master convention floor loading relay MN Master next car relay MX Master down preference relay MZO Master car position relay NDH Intense up peak relay NDR No demand return relay NFT Loading relay NL Lonely car relay PD Instant dispatch relay PM Spotting interrupting relay PR Spotting resetting relay PRS Spotting stepping switch P2 through P6 Floor spotting relays RNS No scan relay RY Spotting resumption relay SC Down demand midpoint relay SCR Pulsing relay SCT Firing relay SFB Lower terminal non-next relay SHN High zone no selection relay SLN Low zone no selection relay SP Spotting transfer relay SZ Down demand midpoint stepping switch SZR Scan relay TZ Zone transfer relay UHT First loading interval relay UT Second loading interval relay YT Spotting interrupting timing relay ZD Down zone demand relay ZlU Low up zone position relay Z2U High up zone position relay 3BP, SBP Passing relays lUR through 6UR Up floor-call registering relays 2DR through 7DR Down floor-call registering relays 69? Closest car relay 77D Down bypass relay 77U Up bypass relay 911R Clearance relay 982 Master lower terminal relay In addition to the foregoing apparatus, certain relays conveniently may be listed separately as follows, since they do not, strictly speaking, fall within either of the above categories, as will become apparent as the discussion proceeds:

DH High zone demand relay DHX High zone down relay DL Low zone demand relay DLX Low zone demand relay FOH Assigned zone relay CHLC and CHLC-High zone low floor relays BLLC and DLLC Low zone high floor relays KR Lower terminal extension demand relay RD Extension floor demand relay TES Extension car scanning relay TEU Extension car up relay ZR Extension floor position relay In order to present the invention in an orderly manner, the apparatus and control circuits for each of the FIGS. 1 through 14 will be discussed separately. Thereafter, a number of typical operations of the entire system will be considered.

Since many similar components are employed in the apparatus and control circuits for the elevator cars A, B, C and D, the description of the apparatus and control circuits will be directed primarily to those associated with the car A. With the notation employed, similar components employed for the other elevator cars readily may be traced. Where different components are employed for certain of the elevator cars, these different components will be discussed as required.

For simplifying the discussion of the invention the invention will be described as applied to the elevator control system of the Savino et al. application Ser. No. 110,464, filed May 16, I961 which is now U.S. Pat. No. 3,292,736 and referred to hereafter for reference purposes. The conventions employed herein are the same as those employed in the Savino et al. application. A comparison of the Savino et al. application with the present application will reveal that whereas the three elevator cars of the Savino et al. application serve a structure having only six floors, the present system is assumed to serve in addition an extension or seventh floor. It will be noted that several of the control components associated with the extension floor are similar to corresponding components for the remaining floors, the latter of which are described in detail in the Savino et al. application. A further comparison will disclose that FIGS. 1 through 12 herein respectively are similar to the same figures of the Savino et al. application, while FIGS. 15 and 16 herein are the same as FIGS. 13 and 14, respectively, of the application. A number of circuits and components which are not shown in the Savino et al. prior application are shown in the present FIGS. 1 through 12 in heavy lines. Finally, each of FIGS. 13 and 14 of the present application wholly illustrates circuits which do not appear in the Savino et al. application.

FIG. 1

FIG. 1 shows the elevator cars A and B and certain control circuits associated therewith. The elevator car A (illustrated in the left column) is assumed to be stopped at the second floor of the structure, whereas the elevator car B (illustrated in the right column) is assumed to be stopped at the fifth floor of the structure.

In FIG. 1 the following apparatus, in addition to certain of the relays and switches listed above, is common to both the present FIG. 1 and FIG. 1 of the aforesaid Savino et al. application:

APPARATUS FOR CAR A 10 Rope l1 Counterweight l2 Sheave l4 Direct-Current motor L1 and L2 Direct-current buses 3U Up floor-call push button 3D Down floor-call push button E Inductor slowdown relay F Inductor stopping relay UEP, DEP, UFP and DFP Inductor plates 15 Floor selector l6 Direct-current generator 17 Induction motor MGS Manually operable switch 18B Brake coil As explained heretofore, similar components are provided for the remaining elevator cars in the system.

In addition to the foregoing components, FIG. 1 also shows a plurality of car-call push buttons 10 through 70 for the elevator car A, which are actuated for the purpose of registering calls for the first through seventh floors, respectively, as desired by passengers entering the car A. Similar push buttons are provided for the car C, since it is assumed that such car also serves all seven floors. In the aforesaid Savino et al. application, no elevator car has a car-call push button for the seventh floor, inasmuch as all of the cars therein serve only six floors. It will be noted that since the car B is assumed to be incapable of serving the seventh floor, no seventh floor car-call pushbutton is provided therefor, and similarly for the car D.

It also will be observed that the elevator car A has a normally open load switch LS. This switch is operated to close when a predetermined load, such as capacity load, is disposed within the car A. The switch LS replaces the load switch LW and its associated contacts LWl through LWS of the aforesaid Savino et al. application.

With the exception of the foregoing modifications, FIG. 1 is similar to FIG. 1 of the Savino et al. application and may be understood more fully by reference to such application.

FIG. 2

FIG. 2 shows the floor-call registration circuits for the elevator cars. The upper part of the figure illustrates up floorcall registering circuit, while the lower part shows down floorcall registering circuits.

Except for the following additions, FIG. 2 is similar to FIG. 2 of the aforesaid Savino et al. application.

The up floor-call push button 6U, its associated up floor-call registering relay 6UR and cancelling coil 6URN and their associated floor selector contact segments (for example, the contact segments a6 and 126 for the car A) for the sixth floor have been added to the group of similar components for the first through fifth floors, respectively, inasmuch as the present elevator system now serves a seventh or extension floor. Since only the cars A and C are assumed to serve the seventh floor, similar floor selector contact segments need not be provided for any of the remaining cars in the elevator system.

It will be noted that for the elevator car B, break contacts NDHl of the intense up peak relay NDH are provided for the 

1. In an elevator system for a structure having a plurality of floors including a primary floor and a plurality of additional floors spaced in a first direction from the primary floor, a bank of elevator cars, means mounting each of the elevator cars for movement relative to the structure to serve the floors, floorcall registering means operable for registering a call for elevator service toward said primary floor from each of said additional floors, car-call registering means for each of the elevator cars operable for registering a call for each of said additional floors when desired by load in the associated elevator car, means for stopping each of the elevator cars at each floor approached by such elevator car for which a call is registered by the respective car call registering means, first means for stopping each of the elevator cars when traveling toward said primary floor at each floor approached by such elevator car for which a call is registered by the floor-call registering means, second means operable in response to a predetermined condition for dividing said bank into a predetermined plurality of parts each including a predetermined portion of said elevator cars and for dividing said additional floors into a like plurality of successive zones each including at least one of said additional floors, means operable in response to operation of said second means for causing each elevator car in each of said portions to provide a special service for a separate one of said zones, and selecting means responsive to a predetermined condition for automatically selecting a car in one of said zones for movement to said primary floor.
 2. first call registering means;
 2. second registering means;
 2. third call registering means;
 2. In an elevator system as claimed in claim 1, said special service causing each elevator car in each of said portions when traveling in said first direction during each of a plurality of trips from said primary floor to stop at each floor in one of said zones for which a call is registered by the respective associated car-call registering means, each of said zones being so served by the portion of said elevator cars in only a predetermined one of said bank parts, said selecting means when there are two elevator cars in such portion traveling toward said primary floor capable of serving such floor located at different distances therefrom operating to select the one of such two cars which is nearer to the primary floor.
 3. An elevator system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said selecting means is responsive to a predetermined absence from said primary floor of the portion of said elevator cars associated with each of said zones for automatically selecting a car in one of said zones for movement to said primary floor without stopping at a floor approached by such car for which a call is registered by the floor-call registering means.
 3. third registering means.
 3. second call registering means.
 3. first call registering means.
 4. An elevator system as claimed in claim 1 wherein an elevator Car which has stopped during a trip in said first direction at the farthest floor in its associated zone from said primary floor for which a call was registered by the associated car call registering means is designated an ''''available car'''', means responsive to registration of a call by said floor-call registering means for any one of said additional floors for assigning an available one of said elevator cars located in any one of said zones to answer such call for providing service from such floor toward said primary floor, said selecting means being responsive to absence of a call registered by said floor-call registering means when such elevator car becomes available for automatically returning such car to said primary floor.
 5. An elevator system as claimed in claim 4 wherein said first means is effective for stopping the last-named car during such return at a floor approached thereby for which a call is registered by said floor-call registering means subsequent to the initiation of such return provided that no other elevator car is assigned to answer the last-named call and provided further that at least one other elevator car in the part of said bank with which said returning car is associated is located at said primary floor.
 6. An elevator system as claimed in claim 5, in combination with third means operable in response to absence from said primary floor of the whole portion of said elevator cars in the part of said bank with which such returning car is associated for rendering said first means ineffective to stop said returning car, said third means when there are two such returning elevator cars in such bank part located at different distances from said primary floor being so operable only with respect to the one of such two cars which is nearer to said primary floor.
 7. An elevator system as claimed in claim 1, an elevator car which has stopped during a trip in said first direction at the farthest floor in its associated zone from said primary floor for which a call was registered by the associated car-call registering means being designated an ''''available car'''', third means responsive to absence from said primary floor of the whole portion of said elevator cars in each of each bank parts for assigning the first available elevator car in such bank part to return automatically to said primary floor and for rendering said first means ineffective to stop such car during its return at a floor approached thereby for which a call is registered by said floor-call registering means, means responsive to registration of a call by said floor-call registering means for any one of said additional floors for assigning an available one of said elevator cars located in any one of said zones to answer such call for providing service from such floor toward said primary floor provided that no other elevator car is assigned to answer the last-named call and provided further that at least one other elevator car in the part of said bank with which the last-named available car is associated is located at said primary floor or is assigned to return to such floor by said third means, and means responsive to absence of a call registered by said floor-call registering means and in the presence of an elevator car located at said primary floor in each of said bank parts or of the assignment by said third means of an elevator car in such bank part to return to said primary floor for automatically returning each available car in such bank part to said primary floor and for rendering said first means effective to stop such elevator car at a floor approached thereby for which a call is registered by said floor-call registering means subsequent to the initiation of such return.
 8. In an elevator system for a structure having a plurality of floors including a primary floor and a plurality of additional floors spaced in a first direction from the primary floor, a plurality of elevator cars for transporting load to and from said floors, means mounting each of the elevator cars for mOvement relative to the structure to serve the floors, floor-call registering means operable for registering a call for elevator service from each of said additional floors, control means operating the elevator cars to answer calls registered by the floor-call registering means, first means operable from a first to a second condition in response to occurrence of a predetermined condition, timing means maintaining operation of said first means in said second condition for at least a predetermined interval of time, and preferential means responsive to registration of a call by said floor-call registering means for said one floor during operation of said first means in said second condition for providing preferential elevator service for said one floor.
 9. An elevator system as claimed in claim 8, said preferential means being responsive to registration of a call by said floor-call registering means for said one floor during operation of said first means in said second condition for assigning an available one of said elevator cars to answer such call registration prior to answering a call which simultaneously may be registered by said floor-call registering means for any other of said additional floors.
 10. An elevator system as claimed in claim 9, said first means being operable from a first to a second condition in response to the presence of a predetermined load in one of the elevator cars set for travel toward said primary floor and located at a predetermined one of said additional floors, and said preferential means being responsive to registration of a call by said floor-call registering means for said one floor during operation of said first means in said second condition for assigning the first available one of said elevator cars to answer such call registration prior to answering a call which simultaneously may be registered by said floor-call registering means for any other of said additional floors.
 11. An elevator system as claimed in claim 8, said first means in said second condition assigning each of said elevator cars on a plurality of successive trips to serve the same predetermined one of said additional floors for a predetermined interval of time, and means responsive to expiration of a predetermined portion of said interval for modifying operation of said first means to assign the first available one of said elevator cars to answer a call registered by said floor-call registering means for a floor other than said predetermined floor.
 12. An elevator system as claimed in claim 11, in combination with means responsive to a second predetermined condition for modifying the length of said predetermined portion of said interval.
 13. An elevator system as claimed in claim 11, in combination with means responsive to absence of the last-named call or, in the presence of such call, to said assignment of said available elevator car for terminating said modification of operation of said first means.
 14. An elevator system as claimed in claim 8, said timing means measuring successive predetermined intervals of time, said preferential means being effective for assigning each of said elevator cars on a plurality of successive trips during each of said intervals to serve the same predetermined one of said additional floors, a different one of said additional floors being associated with each of said intervals in accordance with a predetermined sequence, and periodic means periodically terminating such operation of said preferential means during each of said intervals for assigning the first available one of said elevator cars to answer a call registered by said floor call registering means for a floor other than the predetermined floor associated with the last-named interval.
 15. An elevator system as claimed in claim 14, said periodic means being responsive to expiration of each of successive predetermined portions of each of said intervals for modifying operation of said first means to assign the first available one of said elevator cars to answer a call reGistered by said floor-call registering means for a floor other than the predetermined floor associated with the last-named interval, and modifying means responsive to occurrence of a predetermined traffic condition at the last-named predetermined floor for modifying the length of each of said predetermined portions of said last-named interval.
 16. An elevator system as claimed in claim 15, said call registering means comprising first floor-call registering means operable for registering a call for elevator service in said first direction from each of a plurality of said additional floors, and second floor-call registering means for registering a call for elevator service toward said primary floor from each of said additional floors, the service provided by each car assigned by the preferential means to serve the same predetermined one of said additional floors being toward the primary floor, said modifying means being responsive to absence of at least a predetermined load in one of the elevator cars starting from the last-named predetermined floor in the direction of said primary floor for decreasing the length of each of said predetermined portions of said last-named interval.
 17. An elevator system as claimed in claim 15, said call registering means comprising first floor-call registering means operable for registering a call for elevator service in said first direction from each of a plurality of said additional floors, and second floor-call registering means for registering a call for elevator service toward said primary floor from each of said additional floors, the service provided by each car assigned by the preferential means to serve the same predetermined one of said additional floors being toward the primary floor, said modifying means decreasing the length of each of said predetermined portions of said last-named interval in accordance with the total number of elevator cars during such interval respectively starting without a predetermined load from the associated predetermined floor in the direction of said primary floor.
 18. In an elevator system for a structure having a plurality of floors including a primary floor and a plurality of additional floors spaced in a first direction from the primary floor, a bank of elevator cars, means mounting the elevator cars for movement relative to the structure to serve the floors, at least one of the elevator cars in said bank being incapable of serving a predetermined one of said additional floors, registering means operable for registering a demand for elevator service to said predetermined floor from said primary floor, and selecting means for selecting one of the elevator cars capable of serving said predetermined floor for movement to said primary floor in response to operation of said registering means.
 19. An elevator system as claimed in claim 18, said selecting means being operable for selecting an available one of the elevator cars capable of serving said predetermined floor for movement to said primary floor in response to operation of said registering means, said selecting means when there are two such available cars located at different distances from said primary floor operating to select the one of such two cars which is nearer to said primary floor.
 20. An elevator system as claimed in claim 18, said selecting means comprising means for successively scanning in said first direction available ones of such last-named elevator cars, and means responsive to arrival of the scan at the first of said available cars for assigning such first car to respond to a demand registered by said registering means.
 21. An elevator system as claimed in claim 20, each of said elevator cars having a car door, said registering means being operable for registering a demand for elevator service to said predetermined floor from said primary floor provided that none of the elevator cars capable of serving said predetermined floor is conditioned for travel toward said primary floor and that none of such cars is sTopped at said primary floor with its door open.
 22. In an elevator system for a structure having a plurality of floors including a primary floor and a plurality of additional floors spaced in a first direction from the primary floor, a bank of elevator cars, means mounting the elevator cars for movement relative to the structure to serve the floors, at least one of the elevator cars in said bank being incapable of serving a predetermined one of said additional floors, call registering means operable for registering a call for elevator service requiring movement of one of the elevator cars to said predetermined floor, and selecting means for selecting an available one of the elevator cars capable of serving said predetermined floor for movement to said predetermined floor in response to operation of said call registering means, said selecting means when there are two such available cars located at different distances from said predetermined floor operating to select the one of such two cars which is nearer to said predetermined floors.
 23. An elevator system as claimed in claim 22, said predetermined floor being the farthest one of said additional floors spaced in said first direction from said primary floor, said selecting means comprising means for successively scanning toward said primary floor available ones of such elevator cars, and means responsive to arrival of the scan at the first of said available cars for assigning such first car to respond to a call registered by said call registering means.
 24. An elevator system as claimed in claim 23 wherein said selecting means is effective for making said selection provided that none of the cars capable of serving said farthest floor is traveling towards such floor.
 25. An elevator system as claimed in claim 18 wherein the predetermined floor is the farthest one of said additional floors spaced in said first direction from said primary floor, said registering means comprising first registering means operable for registering a demand for elevator service to said farthest floor from said primary floor, and second registering means operable for registering a call for elevator service requiring movement of one of the elevator cars to said farthest floor, and said selecting means comprising first selecting means for selecting one of the elevator cars capable of serving said farthest floor to respond to a demand registered by said first registering means, said first selecting means comprising first scanning means for successively scanning in said first direction available ones of such elevator cars, means responsive to arrival of the scan by said first scanning means at the first of said available cars for assigning such first car to respond to a demand registered by said first registering means, second selecting means for selecting one of the elevator cars capable of serving said farthest floor for movement to said farthest floor in response to operation of said second registering means, said second selecting means comprising second scanning means for successively scanning toward said primary floor available ones of such elevator cars, and means responsive to arrival of the scan by said second scanning means at the first of the last-named available cars for assigning such first car to respond to a call registered by said second registering means.
 26. An elevator system as claimed in claim 18 wherein said predetermined floor is the farthest one of said additional floors spaced in said first direction from said primary floor, said call registering means comprising first registering means operable for registering a call for elevator service to said farthest floor from said primary floor, second registering means operable for registering a call for elevator service in said first direction from the one of said additional floors adjacent said farthest floor, and third registering means operable for registering a call for elevator service toward said primary floor from said farthest floor, said selecting means comprising assiGning means responsive to operation of each of said registering means for assigning one of the elevator cars capable of serving said farthest floor to answer call registration by such registering means, and discriminating means effective if a plurality of the registering means are concurrently in operated condition for causing said assigning means to assign the last-named elevator car to answer a predetermined one of the respective calls for service registered by such plurality of registering means.
 27. An elevator system as claimed in claim 26 wherein said assigning means is responsive to operation of each of said registering means for assigning an available one of the elevator cars capable of serving said farthest floor to answer call registration by such registering means, and wherein said discriminating means is effective if a plurality of the registering means are concurrently in operated condition for causing said assigning means to assign said available car to answer a predetermined one of the respective calls for service registered by such plurality of registering means in accordance with the location of said available car.
 28. An elevator system as claimed in claim 26 wherein said discriminating means is effective if a plurality of the registering means are concurrently in operated condition and said available car is located at said primary floor for causing said assigning means to assign said available car to answer the call registered by the lowest numbered operated registering means in the following list:
 29. An elevator system as claimed in claim 26 wherein said discriminating means is effective if a plurality of the registering means are concurrently in operated condition and said available car is located at a floor intermediate said primary floor and said farthest floor for causing said assigning means to assign said available car to answer the call registered by the lowest numbered operated registering means in the following list:
 30. An elevator system as claimed in claim 26 wherein said assigning means comprises means responsive to operation of each of said registering means for assigning an available one of the elevator cars capable of serving said farthest floor to answer call registration by such registering means, and wherein said discriminating means is effective if a plurality of the registering means are concurrently in operated condition and said available car is located at said farthest floor for causing said assigning means to assign said available car to answer the call registered by the lowest numbered operated registering means in the following list: 